Social media firm Sprinklr just became the latest $1bn startup March 31, 2015 New York-based marketing group Sprinklr just became the lastest billion-dollar tech startup. The social media platform today revealed it had raised $46m (£30.1m) in its latest round of funding from “our family of investors”, valuing it at more than $1bn. Sprinklr, which employs 700 people, offers a host of tools for businesses to manage [...]
Startup in London? Here’s how the capital’s funding scene is changing March 27, 2015 The funding landscape for startups in London is changing. It has expanded and diversified, making it easier for early stage companies to raise capital. Yet the benefits vary greatly, depending on the size and type of company. London is fertile ground for startups looking to raise between £50,000 to £150,000. The Seed Enterprise [...]
Andreessen Horowitz just ploughed $20m into a London-based virtual worlds startup Improbable March 24, 2015 Silicon Valley group Andreessen Horowitz has just ploughed $20m (£13.4m) into London-based virtual worlds creator Improbable. Entrepreneur Chris Dixon, who is a partner of Andreessen Horowitz and was behind its investment in tech firm Oculus VR before it was bought out by Facebook for $2bn, will join Improbable's board and advising alongside colleague Marc [...]
Index Ventures backs Daniel Gandesha’s tech start-up Property Partner March 23, 2015 Index Ventures, the venture capital firm behind Just Eat and Candy Crush Saga-maker King Digital, has given £5.2m backing to a crowdfunding platform that allows retail investors to tap into the UK’s residential market. Property Partner, founded by the ex-head of startup investment at BSkyB Daniel Gandesha, gives smaller backers the chance to invest sums [...]
Startup-friendly? What George Osborne’s Budget means for entrepreneurs March 22, 2015 Small businesses favour certainty over circus tricks, and the announcements made in last week’s Budget have received a generally positive response from entrepreneurs that I have spoken to – especially in the context of a growing economy. FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR Many will be happy that Entrepreneur’s Relief remained largely unchanged, providing a 10 per cent [...]
What does the chancellor’s Budget mean for you? From the single parent to the startup founder March 18, 2015 THE SINGLE PARENT Catherine Gannon, 51Managing partner at law firm Gannons Gannons Commercial Law continues to do well, with profits and earnings up on last year. Catherine is commercially savvy and has restructured the business from an LLP to a limited company, illustrating that she is a smart operator in a segmented legal market. [...]
Uber’s finance chief Brent Callinicos is leaving the taxi startup March 16, 2015 Uber’s finance chief Brent Callinicos is driving off into the sunset and leaving one of the most highly valued tech startups in the world in the rear-view mirror. The former Google executive who has been with Uber for less than two years will stay on as an advisor, chief executive Travis Kalanick told investors. “Almost [...]
Here’s everything we know about Sakti3 – the US startup Dyson just invested $15m in March 16, 2015 Some 15 years into the entrepreneur game, Sir James Dyson has made his first-ever investment outside his own business, after he ploughed $15m (£10m) in US startup Sakti3. The company, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, develops solid-state batteries. The investment was part of a wider, $20m funding round. Dyson said the company will help it [...]
How a startup can benefit from a hybrid investment strategy March 15, 2015 Different kinds of investors bring different kinds of value to the table. Striking the right balance between them is vital for any young business. At JustPark, I’ve now had exposure to four different types of investor: a corporate investor, an angel investor, a venture capital firm, and currently the crowd – the thousands of people [...]
PayPal sets up cyber security centre in Israel and buys startup CyActive March 11, 2015 Online payments company PayPal yesterday announced it was establishing a cyber security centre in Beersheba, Israel, and has bought local startup CyActive to help to launch the development. PayPal, which is due to be spun off from eBay later this year, did not disclose financial details, but Israeli media have said the purchase was worth [...]